In the Dark
by eventidespirit
Summary: [oneshot] An interlude between Betrayal and Aftershock...I looked down upon her face…there were tear stains, but her cerulean eyes were now dry, completely dry...Terra, you have become an excellent apprentice. TSl


In the Dark

_AN: Before reading, there is a very slight spoiler for Aftershock near the end…_

I returned to the room where she would reside, where she currently was…she was still in the exact same position that I left her in. Her blonde hair was unruly, tangled in numerous areas, but she did not attempt to straighten out her appearance as I entered, softly shutting the door behind me. Though the room was completely dark except for the crimson glow of the alarm to the side, I could still make out her features. Her clothes, ripped and torn in several areas. It appeared that she had taken out some of the rage on herself…but that was expected, that was only natural of _her_. I looked down upon her face…there were tear stains, but her cerulean eyes were now dry, completely dry. She gripped her knees, shaking with rage. I smirked slightly, pleasantly surprised. She was beginning to learn my way all on her own, no coaxing necessary this time.

I approached her and greeted her with a hushed uttering of her name. "Hello, Terra." The name flowed smoothly, slickly through my tongue. I expected her to ignore me, still consumed in her rage but she rapidly jumped up, eyes burning with anger. "When can we go to kill those bastards? I want them dead, everyone of them crushed beneath my feet."

_She has changed, greatly. I observed. For the better of course. I had watched this girl for months, as she tumbled from town to town, always an outsider. Rash at best, foolish and stuck on notions of loyalty, friendship, and love…I wondered if I had been wasting my time following her, trusting those urban legends that told of a young girl who possessed tremendous power, who could extremely dangerous, uncontrollably hazardous. _

_I was not amazed, in the beginning, by what I saw. She was not remarkable and acted as every foolish teenager did- sought companionship. From the shadows, I watched as she warmed others with her lively personality. I watched as she smiled mirthfully, overjoyed at her newfound friendship. Yet, when she was alone, there was uneasiness in the shadows of her eyes…anxiety, fear of what others would discover. Fascinated by this discovery, curious to see the extent of her powers, I stayed and observed…_

_Terra hadn't stayed long before some mishap occurred. It was some sort of minor crime-a bank robbery, I believe. She and her friends happened to be nearby, as the robbers ran to the sidewalk with the policemen dashing behind them. She felt the robbers nearing her friends and urged them to run away as she charged ahead, leading her friends away from the criminals. She did not hesitate…did not even seem to consider using her powers for some sort of good to help the police. Intently focused on getting away and preventing her friends from harm, she was always selfish-certainly, an odd trait in a supposed potential hero. _

_One of her little friends, however, was left behind. Perhaps he was too scared to move or perhaps he was foolhardy enough to believe that he could somehow stop the robbers. "Get out of the way kid." But the kid would not move. He stood squarely on the sidewalk threatening to block the criminals. _

_He never stood a chance though, as the robbers pushed him out of the way, roughly. He landed on the ground, unconscious as a trickle of blood began flowing from his face. _

_And suddenly, the whole street began to shake. Yes, she was doing it…using her powers. An earthquake pounded through the street, ripping away large chunks of buildings effortlessly as if it were child's play. Then, in one large burst, the earth opened up and swallowed the robbers mercilessly, crumbling their bodies to ash. _

_The awe, the rush I felt as I watched this girl. She was small, frail, unnaturally thin, and yet, with her wrath, I was shocked to see what she could become. But disappointment rushed in as I watched her shake and fall to the ground, sobbing, feeling guilty at what destruction she had just created. The passerbys, the policemen were shocked…mouths wide open at the unbelievable event they had just witnessed. Eyeing the remains of the robbers, one of her 'friends' gaped at her; the expression quickly transforming from sympathy, to shock, to disgust, to fear… "Terra, you…you freak!" _

Now, I was captivated by her sudden burst of raw anger and malice. Never had I expected her to possess such potential in such a short period of time. She was becoming a wonderful apprentice, _my _apprentice. "Patience, Terra…patience…we will avenge them in time, but we can't rush into things just like that. Everything needs to be perfectly coordinated. We must ambush them…shock the titans at their own game."

"I-yes, master, I understand." She bowed down her head to demonstrate her respect to me. Ever the more amazed by how quickly she had changed in that span of time, how quickly her soul had darkened, how quickly her allegiance had become to me, I placed the palm of my gloved hand beneath her chin and lifted her chin up until she could look straight into my eyes. She was genuinely surprised by this display of gentleness, as I noticed from her eyes. "You have become an excellent apprentice." I uttered in hushed tones to her, as I slowly drew my hand away from her chin.

"Thank you." She muttered softly, appearing slightly flushed. I casually placed an arm around her and drew her neared to me. Slightly dazed still, she looked at me for approval ("It's all right, Terra.") before she leaned against my chest, shutting her eyes as she slowly began to coordinate her breathing with the rise and fall of my chest. I gauged her figure with my arm. She was still as frail as ever, physically. Even with all of the titan's coarse training routine, she had yet to develop some physical strength. I ran my arm against her arm softly, stroking her. How things have changed…how easier it was now to bend her to my will, to manipulate her to my wishes…

"Terra?" She lifted her eyes to mine to show that she was listening, absorbing every word. Good. "I have a gift for you." Terra, still a girl, with her childlike curiosity became further engaged. "A gift…is there such a need?"

I nodded slowly and flicked a button lighting the room. Behind her, hung a customized mechanic suit of white armor. "It's a suit that I've made especially for you to enhance your fighting abilities. You will have complete control over your powers with it…and with these two neuro-adapters; I will be able to help you through the battles. You may put it on now, if you so desire." She smiled and kneeled before me in thanks and eagerly rushed off to put on the suit.

Still a teenager, still too rash for her own good…in her physical state, she will not be able to withstand the strains of this mission for long. However, long enough for my plans to be put fully in place. It is a pity, though…I was beginning to become fond of her…

_AN: I suppose it turned out all right, though I don't think I made Slade eerie enough. I can't manage a creepy tone. So yes, this was a rather bizarre fic…I haven't done angst or any one-shots for a good while, so I'm slightly rusty. As for the Slade/Terra bit…I know I'll probably receive some flames for that, but I just wanted to experiment with the 'couple.' I don't think I've really seen any S/T fics out there, so yea, that's why I wrote that bit. I was originally going to have another more sensual scene where Terra would dress Slade's wounds, but that was really going to crash my attempt at an angsty fic._

**_And please, as always, review._**_ Flame me if you wish, any feedback is just great. I live on reviews. They make me very happy. _


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